Sixty-Six Minutes Of Music For The Boss’s Birthday

Bruce Springsteen is everything to me. You’ve probably heard this sentiment from someone in your life at one point or another. You either get it, or you don’t; if not, this post isn’t for you.

We — the collected Bruce fandom of the world, from old concert buddies to Facebook fan page commenters — celebrated our annual holiday this past Wednesday, Sept. 23: The Boss’s birthday. This year, the man himself — the most striking songwriter and consistently impressive live performer of modern times — turned 66, though he really doesn’t look a day past 45.

Bruce lifers have their favorite live moments that they always parse in knowing asides with fellow concert veterans — “‘Kitty’ in Milwaukee, ’03! ‘Reason to Believe’ on the ’05 Devils & Dust tour! Bruce and Neil Young trading solos in ’04 during the Vote for Change concert! AndI’ve only been around long enough for post-1999 “reunion” tours — older generations of fans have dozens, hundreds or thousands of more shows to remember. The Springsteen experience is forged by community, love and imagination. It’s magical.

Anyway, happy birthday, Bruce. Thank you for the songs, the friendships, the thinking, the feelings, the realizations, the stories, the joys — the life.

Here are 66 minutes of just a few of my favorite Springsteen songs. There are hundreds more.

(I’m not including the “Dancing in the Dark” video because, though it’s a classic piece of Bruce, I maintain that the song itself addresses some of the realest shit out of the entire Bruce catalog. Close your eyes and feel the doubt!)